Happy Halloween! with Puck

For your consideration on this day of ghoulies and ghosties, fairies and phantoms!

Puck from A Midsummer Night's Dream:
Adorable mischievous fairy? Or creepy creature?

Have your vote on the ImmortalLongings facebook page! 

(Top image vintage, lower image Neil Gaimen's Sandman: A Midsummer Night's Dream)

Designing a shipwreck high in the air! Shipwreck Circus

One of my latest projects has been designing the set for a new circus with Aircraft Circus in Woolwich.

The shipwreck circus concept came up after the closing night of the circus's previous show Madame Pain. "We need to have a shipwreck!" was the new buzz.

The idea of a ship has been batted around for a few years and Alex, the circus director, took the concept further. So now we're finally doing it!

The show features a large steel construction pirate ship hanging and tilting six meters in the air! It's going to be terrifying. I'm not sure I would have the nerve to go up it myself but I'm really excited to see what the cast will do. I love the unique creativity that Aircraft Circus always bring to a project.


The first show will be family friendly on October 31st in Wapping and performances in December at the Greenwich Circus Festival. (Greenwich daytime shows are family friendly, evening shows are 16+)

Sharing the LOVE! - a competition

Shakespeare love quote coasters

Shakespeare love quote art print

As part of the Weekend of Love on the ImmortalLongings Facebook page, I'm giving away a lovely couple of sets of love quote themed items.

Two entries from different people will be randomly chosen to win the Love Goodie Bag.

• 2 ceramic Love Quote tile coasters.
• 2 love quote greetings cards with gold envelopes.



Love quote greetings cards

• 1 original love quote art print, 8"x8" (unframed)

How to enter? It's easy! You can:

1. Quote some love: Post your favourite Shakespeare love quote as a comment in the blog.
2. Share the love: share an Immortal Longings Facebook post on your Facebook page. (why not choose a love quote post?)
3. Tweet love: tweet about this competition blog any Love Quote item from the Etsy Shop! Use the hashtag #immortallongingslove so we can find you.  

Don't forget - all Love Quote prints are also $5 off in the Etsy Shop. 

My Madam Butterfly - new illustration for Seattle Opera

Madama Butterfly
© artwork by Elizabeth Schuch 2012 for the Seattle Opera

This year I was commissioned by the Seattle Opera to create a new illustration and design for their production of Madam Butterfly.

I did 3 versions - one based on the idea of the fan, one minimalist, and the final version shown here. It was inspired by the colour palette of the prints of Japanese artist Hiroshige and the style of his floral arrangements. To add my own touch I researched real butterflys, separate flowers, gradiated backgrounds, and a touch of art nouveau style!

You can buy the design on posters and products in their opera shop online - www.seattleopera.org/shop/ - plus see previous designs I created just for them, including Tristan and Isolde, Carmen, Don Quixote (one of my favourites!), Lucia di Lammermoor, and The Barber of Seville.

Catalogue of Hiroshige's prints